Martin Barr fired up for start of new season

It will be the first time Culham has been used for the British championship since 2018 and it was another local rider, Graeme Irwin, who ran out the winner of race one on that occasion.

For Barr it will be his 16th professional season and one he can’t wait to start.

All sport suffered in 2020 due to the pandemic and motocross was no different.

Last year, the British championship didn’t run and it left riders like Barr, who was running his own team, scratching their heads looking for any opportunity to race.

The Ballyclare rider competed in the MX Nationals and Scottish championships, running late in the season.

ANd it was well worth the effort as he finished runner-up in the MX Nationals and went on to claim the Scottish MX1 championship.

For 2021 he joins forces with Delkevic racing to again run his own BRT team, this time with the new kxf450 Kawasaki, and Barr is excited about the forthcoming season.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

“It has been a stressful few weeks getting everything sorted at the last minute.”

Initially he was to race Honda machinery in 2021 but when that didn’t materialise he switched to Kawasaki.

“It was a last minute machine change but I’m really happy with the Kawasaki,” said Barr.

“I have got in plenty of pre-season laps, although not a lot on the new Kawasaki. But you can only practice for so long and once you are a racer you just want to get racing. It’s this weekend and I’m excited about that.

“2005 was my first professional year and despite all the years I have raced at the top level, I feel I have still got the ability and for 2021 the bike beneath me is more than capable of getting the job done.”

At 33 he is one of the oldest in the MX1 paddock but he doesn’t see that as a hinderance.

“To me it is just a number. I have still got the mentality to do the training and keep putting the effort in so it doesnt bother me what age I am.

“As long as I am competitive and I believe I am I’ll be there racing.”

Barr is one of the few top riders in motocross to be running his own team and although it is not easy, he gets so much satisfaction when it all comes together.

“Running my own team has been stressful at times. Although it can be tough it is a great feeling when it all clicks,” he said.

“Last year winning the final round of the MX Nationals made all the stress and extra work of running my own team worthwhile.

“Hopefully we will be getting a few more wins this year but saying that, there will be a lot of good guys lining up in 2021.”

The MX1 class will be tough this year with the likes of Shaun Simpson, Jake Nicholls and Dylan Walsh on the start gate, but add in local riders like Jason Meara on the Phoenix Tools Apico Kawasaki, Glenn McCormick (Chambers Racing Husqvarna), Stuart Edmonds (Apico Husqvarna), Jay McCrum (GoMX/FonaCab), Richard McKeown and Luke Smith, and motocross fans will have plenty to cheer about when they are finally allowed to attend meetings.

Desertmartin is scheduled to host round five of the eight-round series in June.